De Re Rustica

Blogalaxia Tags:music,folklore,Germany,ribeiro,mushrooms

My appreciated readers, after a long summer of lethargy, my fungal mind has awoke with the autumnal rains that by these hearths coincide with the Sommer Schluss Verkauf, that is to say the discounts of end of the summer. Although it is used to rain and abundantly in July, August is more fresh and therefore more favorable to the development of the hifas of Yuggoth that compose my neural network. After these excuses of lazy, I wanted to deal with a topic that really makes me restless, and that many readers will have guessed upon reading the title of this entrance. Really, what avoids me to sleep, apart from a "cortado" (Spanish coffee speciality: espresso + some drops of milk) that I have taken in the Warsteiner Galerie (a German bar reconverted into "tapas" bar, that I recommend for the good environment and the quality of its dishes, and because besides they have Ribeiro wine!!), said that what makes me restless is the evil use of the television taxes. As many of my avid readers do not know, in Germany, as in other Germanic countries, there is a (forced) tradition to pay the Rundfunkgebühr, a tax charged for watching television and to listen the radio. This tax (that is not little thing, some 18 euro/month for each television set, and 9 for radio, although even so is less than what is used to be charged to keep the luxuries of the Paparazzinger) is destined to finance the television and public radio. The problem is when, suddenly, they decide to eliminate from the programming of the ZDF (the German second public TV) the symbolic program Lustige Musikanten, presented by Marianne and Michael (see photo). This has caused a commotion among the fans of the Volksmusik (basically the ones older than 60 living in remote small towns of the mountains, and myself), that has carried even to be revealed against the system!! Thus, the very same Heino, that comes to be The Palomino but in blonde and that sings, has proposed that we reduce in one Euro our tax payment, in support to the Volksmusik. Even some German grandpa has interposed a complaint in the courts for Missbraucht (badly use) of his taxes.

Fortunately, the state of Baden-Württenberg still respects the quality, and in the programming of the SWR, as much in the radio as in the television, the Volksmusik still keeps the prominence that deserves. Thus for example we have the radio SWR4 (Da sind wir daheim), specialized in Schlager and Volksmusik (sadly more Schlag than Volks..., and I must say that the cover is not good, and one must change of band too often), and in the television the programs dedicated to this musical style are common. Part of this success can be explained due to the charisma and the versatility of one of the largest stars of the badenish "entertainment": the measureless Hansy Vogt. This media supernova, besides heading the already mythical group Die Feldberger, embodies to the affectionate Frau Wäber (a species of german Mrs Rogelia), presents habitually the Sonntags Tour, a marvelous travel throughthe gastronomic, cultural and above all musical Germany, and even dares to perform as ventriloquist, next to the enormous rabbit Félix.

By this order: Frau Wäber, Die Feldberger, Hansy Vogt und Felix (guesses who of the two is the ventriloquist and who the dummy).

Thanks to talents like this, defined by many as a Spassmacher (maker of fun), the Volksmusik still goes one. As a sample of support to so affectionate musical kind, I will dedicate my next deliveries to some of their stars which well deserve it: the Hellwig Sisters, Hansi Hinterseer, Marc Pircher, or surfing on the local market, the Bächlesörfer, some talented musicians from Freiburg with a long experience in the scene, which although are not doing Volksmusik sensu stricto, they are still rather folk...